Things I Love: The Pumpkin Patch

Two weeks ago we took our annual family trip to the pumpkin patch at Gallrein Farms. This is the third year that we've gone and it's always been great for making wonderful family memories. The first year we went, Rebekah was  8 months old and we had to prop her up between a bunch of pumpkins to get her picture because she couldn't stand on her own yet. It's hard to believe that this was 2 years ago. She looks so different now and like such a little girl and not a toddler anymore. 

Our mums have basically taken over the front flower bed. I had no idea that they would grow so large. The upside is that they attracted these butterflies: 

The farm had a "pool" of hay for the kids to jump and play in. Last year Rebekah was really unsure about it, but this year she LOVED IT.

This is Rebekah's friend Libby. She and Rebekah are partners in crime. Just tonight at church Rebekah was opening the front door and was "helping Libby go outside". Two weeks ago, while I was at Laurel's (Libby's mama) house, Libby and Rebekah came out of the bedroom with diaper rash cream that Libby was using as lipstick/makeup. Rebekah came out saying, "Look mama, look!", her voice filled with glee over their discovery. 

They decided that the hay would be better outside the hay pool.

Our friends Ben and Stephanie, along with their 3 boys, also came to the pumpkin patch.

Samuel tried his hand at launching minature pumpkins at a scarecrow. I love how Samuel pulled the slingshot and Ben pulled on Samuel.

We're so thankful for these two families. They have prayed with us through struggles, cried with us through disappointments of failed adoptions and infertility struggles, served us by watching Rebekah, and encouraged us by their friendship and spending time together with us like going to pumpkin patches, out for dinner, or just sitting around the fire pit for good conversation. Friends like this are one of the many ways that God shows us His grace to our family.  

Poor Luke spent most of his time at the patch in the dark.

When there's music, there's dancing!

The farm also had a petting zoo. The problem with Rebekah's way of feeding the animals is that she was too afraid to let them eat out of her hand and as soon as the would get close to her little open palm she would throw the corn up in the air and run away. 

This is one of my top 10 things favorite things about living in Kentucky. I love that we can go to an actual farm to get pumpkins and don't just have to go to a parking lot with pumpkins piled in heaps or a grocery store to buy our fall decorations. We get to have a whole pumpkin patch experience and it's so much fun! Good memories made with good friends.